Tab marking machine



Dec. 23, 1941.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1940 Q 2 mm a um S vw mm MB on 3 .5

lnvenTor.

Ono B.Meye.rs yM U ATTy...

Dec. 23 1941. o. B. MEYERS 2,267,661

TAG MARKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 \nvenror.

'OTTQ B. Meyers A ATTys.

Dec. 23, 1941. o; B. MEYERS TAG MARKING MACHINE Filed Jan. '13, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet s Dec. 23, 1941. o, B, MEYERS 2,267,661

TAG MARKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 13, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Figxll, Fig.12.

\nvenTor. OTTO B. Meyers byfcwd Patented Dec. 23, 1941 Otto B. Meyers, Quakertown', Markem Machine Company,

Pa., assignor to. Keene, N. H., a-

corporation: of 1 New Hampshire Application January 13, 1940, Serial-N0. 313,699

8- Claims;

This; invention; relates, to marking machines of printing head movable toward andfromaiwork-supporting platen and equipped the, type: having; a

withtype-carrying members adapted tomakethe same. printed; impression at each. operation of thetypezheadand also equipped with other type-- carryingmembersarranged'to make a different pr1nted impression at each operation of the printingrhead.

One of the uses. to whichmarking machines of thisrtype are. put is the marking of tags suchas are. used-in. connectioniwith certain manufacturing;operations, such,,forinstance, as the manufacture of. shoes or clothing.

I'n thesemanufa'cturing operations, it is customary toguselatag which is associated with'eacharticle, on group of articles1 being manufactured and) of articles. through the various manufacturing operations; These tags are of considerable length; and i are divided transversely into sections, thererbeing one sectionfor each operationthat isperformed; on the article during its manufacture.- Each section of the tag may have printed thereoni some datawhich identifies the" article and .some other: data which relates to the particular manufacturing operation corresponding, to: said SGOtiOIlxOf the tag;

The printed matter on such atag will; therefore, comprise one or more columns containing a-plurality of identicalprintedimpressions, and another column or, columns containing-aplurality-ofprintedrimpressions, each of which is differentfromthe otheriprinted impressions in the column.

The-type-carrying members-which are used in marking; machines of this type are usually in the form of type wheels having type characters engravedlor otherwise formed on their peripheries, such .type :wheels being independently adjustable in.the. printingheadto permit them to be set forpr-inting any; desired. data.

To provide. for making the difierent. printed impressions in the column on the; tag which re separate manufacturing operations,

lates to the the typemembers by which these difierent printedimpressions are made are mounted so as tobesteppedlforward one-step at each operation of the, printing head.

It.frequently, happens that itis desirable to make a changeinlone ormoreof the printed impressions which relate to the 1 difierent manufacturing. operations, and if the type characters for making these printedimpressionsare formed on anyone impression a,type-wheel, any change in which progresses with the article or group different type characters,

involves removing the type wheels from the printing head and replacing them with other type wheels bearing the desired type characters for making the desired printed impression.

One of the objects of my invention is to pro,- vide a novel construction acters can be readilyremoved from the type whereby the type charwheel so that any-change in any individual type I character can be. madewithout the necessity of discarding one type wheeland replacing itby another;

According to: this feature of my invention, the

typecharacters for the type wheel or type member which" isstepped forward one step at each operation of the printing head are removable from the type wheelor r p,

the type character as a and any individualrtypecharacter of the group is also-removable from.the groupand can bereadily exchanged for another type character any change in. any individual type character can bermade by removing the group of type characters from the type=whee1 or type member andthen-making the necessary change in the individual type .members'of the group.

Furthermore, since the type characters for-any 1 type wheel or type-carryingmember are remov able therefrom as a group, change; a group-of type characterswhich use on' the machine for another group having.

ble to quickly changethe adapted toprint tagsof one=type to a machine adapted to print tags ofadifferent type.

thusmaking it possi machine over from one it is possible toex- In order to give an understanding of. the in.-

= vention, I=have illustrated in the drawings some selected embodiments thereof which will now be described, after whichthe novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Inthe drawings:

Fig. l is a side viewofaltag-marking machine embodying my invention.-

Fig. 2 is a front viewof Fig-1..

Fig. 3 is a-view of .thebeltor ribbon of Fig-1 on .which the type members are mounted.

Fig. 3a is a. perspective view. illustrating the manner in which the ends of the type-carrying. band may be connected and disconnected.

Fig.- 3b is a sectionon theline X-X, Fig.3.

Fig. 3c is a-fragmentary sectionalview show ing the connected. ends of the band in their 0011-,

nectedrelation.-

Fig. '4 isafragmentary sectional view showing a portion of theconnected group of type members and one of the. wheels by which it is carried.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5'--5F?ig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view of one of the type members detached from the belt or ribbon.

Fig. 7 shows a type member having a different construction from that shown in Fig. 6.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are views showing a different form which the type members may assume.

Fig. 10a is a perspective view of one of the type members shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 1% is a fragmentary perspective view of the retaining spring for said type members.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side view of a portion of a tag-marking machine having a different embodiment of the invention in which the group of connected type members are mounted on a wheel rather than on a band or ribbon. I Fig. 12 is a fragmentary front view, Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a side view of a type wheel having a group of removable type members mounted thereon.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line I l-l4, Fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is a section on theline |5-|5, Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary'sectional view showing the group of type members illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14, said type members being shown in section along the line l6, Fig. 15.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a tag marking machine having aprinting head I which iscarried by a rocking arm 2 pivoted to the frame 3 of the machine at 4, said headbeing movable toward and from a work-supporting platen carried. by the frontportion 6 of the frame 3. The arm 2 may be given its rocking motion by any suitable means, and as herein shown, the end of the arm is connected by a link to a crank pin 8 on a crank disk 9 that is fast on a shaft l0. Said shaft is driven from a driving shaft II by means of a pinion l2 which is fast on the shaft H and which meshes with a gear [3 fast on the shaft H). The shaft ll may be driven by any suitable means, such as a driving pulley M. In machines of this type, it is customary to provide some form of stop mechanism to bring the machine to restwhen the printing head I is in its elevated' position, and usually the machine is controlled by a treadle which, when depressed, will'release the stop mechanism so as to allow the machine to operate, said machine continuing the operation so long as the treadle is maintained depressed but stopping with the printing head raised when the treadle is released. Since the stop mechanism andtreadle are commonly used in machines of this type, it has not been thought necessary to illustrate them herein.

The' machine illustrated is provided with a feed roll 5 for feeding the one step at each operation of the printing head I, so that the tag which is being marked will be fed forward intermittently, thereby enabling the printing head to make repeated printed impressions on the tag: For this purpose, the feedroll is providedwith a ratchet wheel i5 which is acted on by a feed pawl l6 carried by a link H which is connected at its outer end to an upstanding arm l8 fast'on the rock shaft 4. The rocking movement of said rock shaft by which the printing .head is given its up-and-down movement operates through the linkll to step the feed roll 5 forward intermittent1y.

l3 indicates a spring acting on the link I! and yieldingly holding the pawl H5 in engagement with the ratchet I5. 23 indicates a presser roll which acts on the tagand holds the feed roll 5.

tag forward and also with means for stepping the feed roll 5 forward it in contact with 'U. S. Patent, 1,023,570,

tag at each operation of 1 the printing head A machine of this general type is illustrated in April 16, 1912.

The type-carrying elements with which the printing head I is equipped comprise a plurality of individually adjustable type wheels 2| that are mounted on a shaft 22 with which the type head is provided. These type wheels 2! may have any usual construction, and each has on its periphery a plurality of type characters. Since the type wheels are individually adjustable, they may be set so as to make any desired printed impression within the limits of the type characters that they carry.

In printing a tag, the type wheels 2| will be set to print the desired data regarding the article being manufactured, and these type wheels will make the same printed impression on the the printing head and will thereby print on the tag a column of identical printed impressions. The type-carrying member shown in Fig. l, by which the printed impressions that are all different from each other are made, is in the form of a band or ribbon 23 carrying a plurality of type members 24, each type member having its own individual type character which is different from that of the other type members. This belt or ribbon 23 passes around and is supported by tWo wheels 25, 26 that are somewhat in the nature of sprocket wheels. The wheel 25 is mounted on the shaft 22 of the printinghead and the wheel 26 is mounted on a shaft 21 carried by an arm 28 that is pivotally mounted on a shaft 59 carried by two uprights 99 rising from and secured to the printing head I.

By using a ribbon or belt 23 for supporting the type characters 25, it is possible to have a much larger number of type characters than could be used if the type characters were mounted directly on a type wheel such as a type wheel 2 The wheel 25 is loosely mounted on the shaft 22 and has a ratchet wheel 88 fast therewith. This ratchet wheel cooperates with a feed pawl 29 and means are provided for giving the feed pawl 29 a forward step at each operation of so that each time the printing head I makes its downward movement to produce a initial elevated position, the wheel stepped forward one step, endless chain of type members 24 one step. Since each type member 24 has a type character thereon which is different from that on any other type member, the result will be that at each operation of the printing head, a different impression will be made by the type characters 24. The type wheels 2|, however, will make the same printed impression at each operation of 25 will be the printing head.

While any suitable means for actuating the feed pawl 29 may be employed, I have illustrated it as pivotally connected to an arm 30 fast on arock shaft 3| carried rock shaft has another arm is pivotally connected to one end of a link 33,

by the uprights 89. This the other end of the link being connected to upright 38. With this construction, the up-anddown movement of the printing head I will cause the inking roll 35 to travel back and forth across the type characters that are in printing position, thereby inking the type, and this swinging movement of the arm 34 serves to rock the printed. impression and returns to its thereby advancing the I 32 fast thereon which rock shaft 3| and thereby actuate the feed pawl 29.

The type members-24 may be individually-removable fromthe bandor ribbon 23,- and the ribbon 23 is readily removable from the wheels 25; 261011 which it is carried. This band 23 may becin theform of a flexible steel band andit is shown as formed with a plurality of apertures 3flrinwhichthe type members 24 are removably mounted. The type'm-embers shown in Figs. 4 to 6-each have the face 49 on which the type character is formed, and each has the'extension 4| projectingfrom the back side thereof which projects through an opening 39 of the ribbon or band 23; The:extension 4| is provided with a slot; the inner end 43 of:which.is' widened thereby to produce the inwardly facing shoulders 44;. The walls of the slot are beveled so. as to provide a slot with a diverging'mouth. The type members: 24 are retained in the belt or band 23 by means of two wires 45 which underlie the shoulders 44 as shown best in Fig. 5. These Wires extendaalong onithewback side of thezband 23 for the full length thereof and are anchored. at theirends to the band, as shown at;46: 41 indicate hold-downxmembers in: the form of loopswhich embrace the wires 45*andretain:themin position:

Since the wires 45*lie alongthe backsideof the band 23, and underlie the shoulders 44, said wires serve to retain the type members in position onthe band 23.

Any type member can be removed, however by moving the two wires toward each other at a point adjacent the type member whichit is de. sired to remove until the wires are disengaged from the shoulders 44. This movement of the wires can be secured by means of a pair of tweezers or any similar implement.

Similarly, a type member can be attached to theband-23- by inserting the extension 4! thereof through an opening 39 in the band. As this is done, the inclined faces of the slot 42 will force the'wires 45' toward each other, and as the type member is brought into position, the wires will snap under the shoulders 44 thereby locking. the type member to the band 23.

The ends of the band 23 are adapted to be detachably secured together, thereby providing an endless band. For this purpose one end of the band is formed with an elongated aperture 48 having a dimension lengthwise of the band equal to the dimension of the type member 34 transversely of said band. To connect the ends of the band together, said ends will be brought into a position adjacent each other and then turned end of the band'may then be inserted through the opening 48 in the other end of the band, and when this has been done, then the two ends of the band are swung aroundinto alinement with each other. Said ends of the band will thus be locked together by the extension M of the type member which passes through apertures in both ends of the band.

The wheels 25 and 26 are eachprov-ided with a peripheral groove 59 to receive the extensions 4| of thetype members that project through the band 23, the outer end. of the groove being widened, as shown at to receive the band 23.

Each wheel is thus provided withv two flanges 52, one on each side of the groove 59, andthese flanges are formed with recesses 53 adapted to shaft 69 carried by the receive the type'members 24. The back side of eachtype. member-is. beveled; as shown: ati54,

andl'the recesses 53'h'ave. the beveled faces .55- and are? thus shaped" to fit the back face of the type members. These recesses thus form seats in whichthe type members are received, as best seen in Fig. 4. These seats 55* also provide a firm backing forthe particular type member which is in printing position during the printing operation so that the printing pressure istransmitted from the type member directly to the wheel 25, and the band 23 is relieved from any strain. In Fig. 7 I have shown-adifferent form of typemember which is-indicated with an extension leg. The type members 58 are each formed with.

a head 60 connected to the body of the type member by aneck portion 9|. The type members are mounted in the holder by sliding the head 69 between the legs 6| typemembers 58 are retained in the holder 51 by means of a leaf spring 64, the ends of which overlie the endifa-ces of;the end type members 58. These spring ends '65 thus serve to retain the springin the holder and preventit having any lengthwise movement.

extension 6! of each holder.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2, there is illustrated two bands 23, each having a plurality of type members 24-thereon, each-band having a set of wheels 25,. Zfifor supporting it. Eachof the wheels 25 is. 28 and each ratchet 28 has its feed pawl 29for actuating it.

The band 23. with its type members 24 forms a chain of type memberswhich can be of any deenlargingthe capacity of the machine.

To, provide for readily removing the chain of connected type members from the wheels, the arm 28 is shown as pivotally mounted on the uprights 99, and theouter end of said arm 28 is acted on by a spring 10 at 24a, and which is provided 4la adapted to be inserted in, an opening-39-ofthe band 23; Inthis'embodn ment; the type member is held in placeby wires the type members 24a would.

These type.

indicated at 58. The holder .of the holder 5-1 with the beads or ribs 59. occupying the grooves 62 of the' are formed With-ears 66-which overlie the end faces of the holder and provided with the feed ratchet" which tends to hold thearm in the full line position'shown in Fig. 1, thereby maintaining the band 23 taut. If it is desired to remove the band 23, then the arm 28 may be swung into the dotted line position, Fig. 1, thereby providing suilicient slack in the band 23 to allow it to be slipped off from the wheel 28. The two ends of the band can then be disconnected and the band with its associated type members may be removed entirely from the machine.

In using these tag printing machine's, it is sometimes convenient to have a plurality of bands 23 and their associated chains of type members, each chain of connected type members being suitable for printing tags of some particular character. By having the chains of type members interchangeable, it is possible to remove one chain of type characters and substitute for it another chain, thereby quickly changing over the machine from one adapted to print a tag for one set of manufacturing operations to 'a machine adapted to print a tag for a different set of manufacturing operations.

The means herein shown for shifting the arm 28 from its full to its dotted line position and vice versa comprises a lever H pivoted at 12 to the outer end of an arm 73 rigid with and extending from the upright 99, and a link M which is pivotally connected at 15 to the lever H and is pivotally connected at 16 to the arm 28. The portion of the lever between the pivotal connection 16 and its pivotal mounting l2 and the link 14 constitute a toggle device which is in a broken condition when the parts are in the full line position in Fig. 1. When the lever H is swung forwardly into the dotted line position, Fig. l, the toggle will be straightened thereby swinging the rear end of the arm 28 upwardly and moving the wheel 26 downwardly into the dotted line position. The straightened toggle serves to hold the arm 28 in its dotted line position against the action of the spring 10, thereby facilitating the removal of the band 23 from the wheels 25, 26, or its replacement thereon.

The wheels 25 are each shown as having a hand wheel 9i rigid therewith by which they may be turned manually. These hand wheels 9! provide means for adjusting the type bands 23 manually so as to bring any desired type into printing position.

In Figs. 11 to 16, I have shown an embodiment of the invention wherein the chain of connected type members are carried by a wheel instead of by a band or ribbon. This wheel is shown at IT and is mounted on the shaft 22 coaxial with the type wheels 2|. The individual type members which are connected as a chain and are carried by the wheel Tl are indicated at 18. Each type member is formed with a face 19 carrying the type character and with a stem or extension 80 which is adapted to be received in a groove 8! withwhich the wheel 1'! is provided. These individual type members are strung on two coil springs 82 which extend through apertures 83 formed in the extensions 80. The two ends of each spring are anchored to the two end type members 18a and 18b of the chain of type members. The springs may be anchored to these type members in any approved way, and as shown in Fig. 16, one end of each spring is permanently connected to the shank of a screw 8'1 mounted in the type member 18a and the other end of each spring is permanently connected to the shank of a bolt 85 which is carried by the type member 1817.

stepping the wheel ll forward one .with a plurality The wheel 11 is provided in its periphery with notches 85 in which the type members 18 are received and by which they are positioned. The two notches 86a for receiving the end type members 18a and 181) are somewhat deeper than the other notches, as shown in Fig. 13, and thereby to provide a sufficient anchorage for these type members 18a, 181). When the type members are on the wheel, the springs 82 are stretched somewhat and the tension of these springs serves to hold the type members firmly in their notches 8G.

The chain of type members can be removed from the type wheel by simply removing either type member 7811, or lfib from its notch 86a, and

then peeling the chain of connected type members off from the wheel, as Fig. 13.

The type wheel Ti is provided with a ratchet wheel 88 which cooperates with the pawl 29 for step for each shown in dotted lines,

operation of the printing head.

I claim:

1. A printing head for a marking machine having a flexible type-carrying band provided of apertures, a plurality of separate type members, each having an extension projecting through an aperture of the band, and means cooperating with and common to all said extensions for securing the type members to the band.

rality of type members, each having an extension projecting through an aperture of the band, and a retaining wire extending longitudinally of the band at the back side thereof and cooperating with said extensions for securing the type members to the band.

3. A printing head for a marking machine having a flexible type-carrying band, two bandsupporting wheels around which the band passes, said band having apertures therethrough, a plurality of type members, each having a forked extension projecting through an aperture of the band with each arm of the fork formed with an inwardly facing shoulder, and retaining wires extending longitudinally of the band and engag- 60 ing said shoulders, thereby to detachably secure the type members to the band.

4. A printing head for marking machines prising a supporting member, a flexible typecarrying band, two band-supporting wheels mounted on said member and around which the band passes, means to rotate one of said wheels, and a plurality of type members separate from the band and removably carried thereby, each wheel having a circumferential groove in which the band is received and also having peripheral notches at the side of the groove to receive the type members, whereby said type members and notches provide a driving connection between the driven wheel and the band.

com-

? 5. A printing head for marking machines com- '-.and a plurality of type members separate from the band and remcvably carried thereby, each wheel having a circumferential groove to receive a band and also having peripheral notches at the side of the groove to receive the type members,

whereby said type members and notches provide a, driving connection between the driven wheel and the band, the mounting for said wheels having means for moving the wheels toward each other to permit the band and its type members to be removed as a unit from the band-carrying wheels.

6. A marking machine having a supporting member, a band-carrying wheel rotatably mounted thereon, a second band-carrying wheel mounted on said member and adapted for move ment toward and from the first-named wheel, a flexible type-carrying band passing around said wheels, a plurality of type members carried by said band, means for giving the first-named wheel an intermittent rotary motion, a spring means acting on the second-named wheel and tending to move it away from the firstnamed wheel, whereby said band is held in a taut condition, and a toggle lever device for moving said second wheel toward the first wheel against the action of the spring means and locking it in such position, thereby providing for removing the band from the supporting wheels or replacing it thereon.

7. A marking machine comprising a supporting member having an upright rising therefrom, a band-carrying wheel rotatably mounted on said member, an arm pivotally mounted on said upright, a second band-carrying wheel mounted on the arm, a type-carrying band passing around said wheels, a plurality of type members carried by the band, a spring acting on said arm and tending to move the type wheels away from each other, thereby maintaining the band in a taut condition, and a toggle lever device connected to said arm and by which it may be turned about its pivot to move the wheel carried thereby toward the other wheel against the action of the spring and by which said arm is held in such position, thereby providing for removing the band from the wheels or replacing it thereon.

8. A marking machine comprising a printing head, a flexible ribbon-like type-carrying band provided with a plurality of apertures, two bandcarrying wheels mounted on said printing head and around which the band passes, a plurality of type members adapted to rest against one face of the band, each type member having an extension extending through an aperture in the band, and a retaining wire extending longitudinally of the band and cooperating with the extensions to hold the type members in position, said band having at one end an aperture of a size to receive the type member on the other end of the band, whereby the ends of the band can be connected or disconnected by inserting said end type member through or withdrawing it from said end aperture.

OTTO B. MEYERS. 

